Starting Orlistat today - how many g of fat and any other advice

Li5a87MFP

Hi after a year of trying to lose weight and failing, and blood tests that came back clear, I have been prescribed Orlistat.

Does anyone know

-how many g of fat is okay to eat without side affects
-of over okay g of fat how long after eating until side effects appear?

Today I have eaten a chocolate bar 13g fat and a meal with smoked salmon in it which was another 13g fat...

my total fat for today is 54g and i have taken a tablet with lunch and a tablet with dinner so far wind but no other side effects...will they come later!?

thank you for any tips

bpetrosky

Since you are being prescribed Orlistat your doctor should have given you some guidelines for this. The pharmacy probably already gave you a fair bit of paperwork when they filled the script, as well.

IIRC, the recommendation is keeping fat to < 30% of total calories, but again, refer to your doctor's instructions.

Other advice...keep a spare pair of underwear with you at all times.

RonyMack

I agree with the above. If you were given this as a prescription, you should seek the proper advice from your doctor.

AnvilHead

You may find this thread helpful and informative: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10290083/alli-xenical-does-it-work-please-only-answer-if-you-have-actually-taken-it/p1

elphie754

I thought you were supposed to be under a certain fat gram amount for 3 days prior to taking the medication? (At least that is what the old Alli instructions said).

Li5a87MFP

bpetrosky wrote: »

Since you are being prescribed Orlistat your doctor should have given you some guidelines for this. The pharmacy probably already gave you a fair bit of paperwork when they filled the script, as well.

IIRC, the recommendation is keeping fat to < 30% of total calories, but again, refer to your doctor's instructions.

Other advice...keep a spare pair of underwear with you at all times.

All i was told was that if i eat too much fat it will all come straight out, and the pharmacy just said to take as doc said which was a tablet three times a day, maybe could’ve been given more info in hindsight!

Li5a87MFP

AnvilHead wrote: »

You may find this thread helpful and informative: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10290083/alli-xenical-does-it-work-please-only-answer-if-you-have-actually-taken-it/p1

thank you i will have a look!

Nony_Mouse

You may want to stay close to the bathroom...

Li5a87MFP

elphie754 wrote: »

I thought you were supposed to be unde a certain fat gram amount for 3 days prior to taking the medication? (At least that is what the old Alli instructions said).

that would make sense!!

elphie754

Li5a87MFP wrote: »

bpetrosky wrote: »

Since you are being prescribed Orlistat your doctor should have given you some guidelines for this. The pharmacy probably already gave you a fair bit of paperwork when they filled the script, as well.

IIRC, the recommendation is keeping fat to < 30% of total calories, but again, refer to your doctor's instructions.

Other advice...keep a spare pair of underwear with you at all times.

All i was told was that if i eat too much fat it will all come straight out, and the pharmacy just said to take as doc said which was a tablet three times a day, maybe could’ve been given more info in hindsight!

Just like any other medication, you should really know what it is and why you are taking it, prior to your first dose.

mmnv79

I think that's what here is or was called Xenical. My mum was prescribed that when I was a teenager, she didn't follow her doctor's advice, ate whatever she wanted as she always did, and it was a total disaster. So I strongly advise you to follow whatever guidance you were given. I guess there's a leaflet in the box, like with other medicines. If after reading it you have doubts, talk again to your pharmacist or book another appointment with the doctor. Wish you best of luck with your journey.

mph323

Did the prescription come with one of those pages of tiny print instructions, warnings and manf. info? You might find the info you're looking for there.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Not that it's my business but I'm personally upset that you weren't sat down and counseled in great detail on this medication. Pretty careless on the doctor's part.

kommodevaran

I think you just have to stop trying to game the system, and just accept that you have to eat a little less, but consistently, if you want to lose weight.

Li5a87MFP

mph323 wrote: »

Did the prescription come with one of those pages of tiny print instructions, warnings and manf. info? You might find the info you're looking for there.

it had a leaflet explaining what it is, how it works and possible side effects, as the doctor it instructed to take three tablets a day with each main meal, but there was no detail as to how much fat is ok and how much will get me in embarrassing situations!! i have read in another thread on here recommended in this thread to aim for no more than 15g of fat in each meal which doesn’t seem that bad, and after a chocolate bar snack and smoked salmon for dinner last night iv been to the toilet passed normal stools this morning, so that sounds about right hopefully.

Li5a87MFP

kommodevaran wrote: »

I think you just have to stop trying to game the system, and just accept that you have to eat a little less, but consistently, if you want to lose weight.

i have in the past lost 3 stone by creating a calorie deficit and making healthy food choices, i gained this back on. last year i went from an office job to working with horses, i average 7 miles a day walking, also involves carrying and lifting heavy stuff, i have for a year lost no weight doing this, struggling to find the correct calorie amount to lose weight, i can lose a lb here and there i can then gain without doing anything different and then it takes week to lose that gain, i weigh daily and i record my moving average, i don’t know if because i have dieted so many times in the past my body has just got use to a deficit or my metabolism has slowed right down. either way it seems wrong to only be able to eat 1,000 calories a day, drink 2l of water and do the exercise to do to lose weight, i cannot maintain this without feeling faint at work, if i increase to the my fitness pal calculations i start to gain again, i got to the point where i was counting macros, grams of fat and carbs and still long term the weights not budging, i went to the doctors to rule out any thyroid or polycistic ovaries, had tests and despite all symptoms of both they’ve come back clear...so he said about these tablets, they can’t make losing weight any more difficult then it already seems for me at the moment so i gave them a try. to be honest i am skeptical and embarrassed at it reaching this point, but thought i’d give it my all as iv nothing to lose,

Lillymoo01

I read this post then went on Facebook and saw this video. It is pretty gross. Coincidence?

https://www.facebook.com/takebacktheblockym/videos/1753486704760923/?hc_ref=ARTWXrwnsDNtfFJMhLTnjZZK4oGPAK_ivMNllKc9oASimI_Rkd5OO9pAyuI8Qh766S8&__xts__[0]=68.ARBoyCKmdcgk4WCZRcmtp_o09CfUxVY7MbMAppW6rnPCq7hJi2G2yuD9N77kr7OhlzSpVxd5FMcSJNuL3Iejxruy2MwJc2Nm14KXeqn5yCRoaGerKNY78QRRTuS6zAA7t6skhuhy7Erc0_TBaSKRD8iPFnohZ56yLwZs_kjRqr9hrZWotoZU3gWl0-aQ51pnwFjbpX4WgikLNAFAJP9LpPUvfXNHVwGzFQmAAcrySA&__tn__=FC-R

ruqayyahsmum

Nony_Mouse wrote: »

You may want to stay close to the bathroom...

This was what I came to say based on orlistat usage years ago 🙈

ruqayyahsmum

I was put on orlistat by my GP years ago. I was given a leaflet of meals to make instead of normal options

One day my bosses wife cooked. She made me vegetables and rice since I was "dieting" big mistake. In the taxi ride home my stomach started cramping. I've never clenched so hard in my life, begged the driver to go faster
Launched myself through my front door and into the toilet. Underwear was unsalvageable and clothing needed stain remover
Turned out she had fried the veg and rice in ghee before adding water to cook the rice

After that I took spare trousers and 2 pairs of underwear everywhere and did not renew the script after the month. The 4lb loss was not worth the side effects

MelanieCN77

Li5a87MFP wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

I think you just have to stop trying to game the system, and just accept that you have to eat a little less, but consistently, if you want to lose weight.

i have in the past lost 3 stone by creating a calorie deficit and making healthy food choices, i gained this back on. last year i went from an office job to working with horses, i average 7 miles a day walking, also involves carrying and lifting heavy stuff, i have for a year lost no weight doing this, struggling to find the correct calorie amount to lose weight, i can lose a lb here and there i can then gain without doing anything different and then it takes week to lose that gain, i weigh daily and i record my moving average, i don’t know if because i have dieted so many times in the past my body has just got use to a deficit or my metabolism has slowed right down. either way it seems wrong to only be able to eat 1,000 calories a day, drink 2l of water and do the exercise to do to lose weight, i cannot maintain this without feeling faint at work, if i increase to the my fitness pal calculations i start to gain again, i got to the point where i was counting macros, grams of fat and carbs and still long term the weights not budging, i went to the doctors to rule out any thyroid or polycistic ovaries, had tests and despite all symptoms of both they’ve come back clear...so he said about these tablets, they can’t make losing weight any more difficult then it already seems for me at the moment so i gave them a try. to be honest i am skeptical and embarrassed at it reaching this point, but thought i’d give it my all as iv nothing to lose,

All that this medication is going to do is potentially get you in a calorie deficit by making you averse to consuming fat, so just consider what you are going to do to yourself to get there. When you counted your calories and figured you were eating 1,000, what was your process of calculating those? Like if you ate a salad and a sandwich, how would you figure the cals?

Li5a87MFP

MelanieCN77 wrote: »

Li5a87MFP wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

I think you just have to stop trying to game the system, and just accept that you have to eat a little less, but consistently, if you want to lose weight.

i have in the past lost 3 stone by creating a calorie deficit and making healthy food choices, i gained this back on. last year i went from an office job to working with horses, i average 7 miles a day walking, also involves carrying and lifting heavy stuff, i have for a year lost no weight doing this, struggling to find the correct calorie amount to lose weight, i can lose a lb here and there i can then gain without doing anything different and then it takes week to lose that gain, i weigh daily and i record my moving average, i don’t know if because i have dieted so many times in the past my body has just got use to a deficit or my metabolism has slowed right down. either way it seems wrong to only be able to eat 1,000 calories a day, drink 2l of water and do the exercise to do to lose weight, i cannot maintain this without feeling faint at work, if i increase to the my fitness pal calculations i start to gain again, i got to the point where i was counting macros, grams of fat and carbs and still long term the weights not budging, i went to the doctors to rule out any thyroid or polycistic ovaries, had tests and despite all symptoms of both they’ve come back clear...so he said about these tablets, they can’t make losing weight any more difficult then it already seems for me at the moment so i gave them a try. to be honest i am skeptical and embarrassed at it reaching this point, but thought i’d give it my all as iv nothing to lose,

All that this medication is going to do is potentially get you in a calorie deficit by making you averse to consuming fat, so just consider what you are going to do to yourself to get there. When you counted your calories and figured you were eating 1,000, what was your process of calculating those? Like if you ate a salad and a sandwich, how would you figure the cals?

well so far iv had no side effects but then my fat intake for my breakfast lunch and snack is 15g, this is a normal work day for me iv not cut anything out, and i am at 6.5 miles on my fitbit today so far.
i have gone down the weighing food route, at one point i was weighing salad leaves which was shortly before i went to the doctors!